Attorney General Jim Hood kept mentioning two phrases during a speech Monday: "Workin' people swinging hammers" and "large, out-of-state corporations."

One was good, according to Hood, and the other was very bad.

Hood spoke at the Stennis Capitol Press Forum for about an hour. The presumptive Democratic nominee for governor never mentioned the names of any political opponents. Instead, he cast himself as a fighter for the working woman and man.

Hood said the key difference in the 2019 race for governor is "who fights for working people?"

"People that work everyday, pay their taxes, follow the rules, go to church — those people?" Hood asked. "Or do we fight for those large out-of-state corporations who give you huge campaign contributions?"

There's little to no transparency in the Legislature, Hood said, and special interests are often behind major legislative decisions.

"I laugh about it, but a regular old millionaire can't influence that Legislature any more," Hood said. "It takes a billionaire."

Unemployment lower but still not good, Hood says

Gov. Phil Byrant, who is term-limited, and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, the Republican front-runner for governor, have touted Mississippi's falling unemployment rate, but Hood said that's not the whole picture.

"You hear people bluff and blunder about, 'Oh, we got the lowest level of unemployment in the history of Mississippi.' Well, that's right, but turn the coin," Hood said. "...We're still fourth-highest unemployment rate in the nation."

Food prices, college tuition and other costs have been going up, Hood said, but wages remain stagnant. He said Mississippi has the lowest average annual wage of any state in the country.

Hood called tax cuts for out-of-state corporations "a failed policy" and said leaders should focus on rebuilding infrastructure and investing in education.

He also advocated for Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, saying Mississippi's refusal to accept federal funds has led to hospital closures in rural areas of the state.

Hood said the emergency room in his small hometown has been reduced to an after-hours clinic.

Other states that expanded Medicaid are doing well, Hood said, and he believes the Mississippi Legislature would vote for it with the right plan in place.

Hood kicked off his speech saying he grew up in a town of 350 people where neighbors didn't know or care about the political affiliation of their neighbors.

After his speech, while responding to questions, Hood returned to this point.

"I think people are sick of this petty partisanship," Hood said. "The crazies on both extremes of our parties have been driving the agenda, and people are sick of it."

Hood said as just many Republicans have encouraged him to run as Democrats.

Hood vs. the Legislature

Hood took aim at the Mississippi Legislature multiple times during his speech.

He said state lawmakers should not be exempted from state public records laws so people can see how they're making decisions — and who's influencing them to do so.

Hood also claimed that most state lawmakers support his agenda, but blamed leadership for holding up progress.

"We can do these things that I have mentioned. the votes were in the Legislature to do these things," he said. "It was just the leadership choking it off. And there's about three people in our state that are running it. They don't let the committee chairs even have any discussions. They don't have any hearings. They don't let people read bills before they roll them out."